Controlling/Eradicating Vermetid Snails

nebraska dreamin · Jul 21, 2015

updates??? did the coris wrasse or emerald crabs take em out?? yes these things suck!! ive tried snapping them off, plugging w super glue, covering holes w epoxy where i couldnt get to them w glue, cutting WAY back on feedings and have more now than when they first started cropping up. I think I will try the emerald crabs if that doesnt work coris wrasse, last resort ro bath and manually removing and if that fails im pulling those rocks out and burning them lol

Ligershark · Jul 21, 2015

im also interested in knowing. i have cut back feeding significantly removed my sand, then half of my rock work and still multiplying

nebraska dreamin · Jul 21, 2015

Ligershark said:
im also interested in knowing. i have cut back feeding significantly removed my sand, then half of my rock work and still multiplying

youre probably having issues since you removed your sand and rocks. less surface area for that beneficial bacteria to thrive is probably leaving nutrients in the water column allowing them to thrive? just a guess, my .02

Ligershark · Jul 21, 2015

i put media in my sump months ago as i plan to go to artificial rock in my reef, nutrients are still low

thormx · Jul 21, 2015

I had these things covering everything, but my blue spot puffer went to work on them as soon as I added him. Couple weeks later I had none! He's an awesome addition to the tank, he's been totally reef safe, he's beautiful, and has tons of personality. I would think any of the canthigaster would be equally beneficial.

KJ · Jul 21, 2015

Read More! GOOD LUCK

Triggreef · Jan 23, 2016

I can tell you my copperband and long nose and many wrasse do nothing for these pests. Blue spot offer is interesting but scary. May look into that.

oneilwiz · Oct 17, 2016

Hello everyone,

re-igniting this thread, has anyone had success with any recommendations in eradicating these snails? I have a lot under my Green and Red Montiporas as well as rocks.

Question: Are there these snails harmful to corals in any manner ?

BlueDevil · Oct 17, 2016

oneilwiz said:
Hello everyone,

re-igniting this thread, has anyone had success with any recommendations in eradicating these snails? I have a lot under my Green and Red Montiporas as well as rocks.

Question: Are there these snails harmful to corals in any manner ?

From everything I have read they are not harmful to corals per se. However if they grow too close to corals they can irritate them. In some rare cases, like I experienced, a vermetid snail might make its home inside a coral, an acro in my case. The did cause tissue damage to the coral around the snail. The only option in such cases is to superglue the worm hole opening.

My only suggestion is to not let them get to plague proportions. Every time I clean my tank and see any I crush their shells with fingers or with forceps.

new2this · Sep 25, 2017

So does anyone else have opinions on this? I need something and super glue is not an option for me...did the blue spot puffer fully irradicate them?.. did he move on to polyps?..i gotta do something

new2this · Sep 25, 2017

thormx said:
I had these things covering everything, but my blue spot puffer went to work on them as soon as I added him. Couple weeks later I had none! He's an awesome addition to the tank, he's been totally reef safe, he's beautiful, and has tons of personality. I would think any of the canthigaster would be equally beneficial.

Did the blue spot work?

italquam · Mar 2, 2018

new2this said:
Did the blue spot work?

ever find out if the blue spot puffer worked??

Saltyanimals · Mar 8, 2018

I have some near some SPS that are irritating them too with their stupid mess. I've tried breaking the tubes and hoping my emeralds would come as they're around that area, but nothing. Tubes rebuild and basic back and forth. Sucks because it's prime viewing real estate.

italquam · Mar 8, 2018

Saltyanimals said:
I have some near some SPS that are irritating them too with their stupid mess. I've tried breaking the tubes and hoping my emeralds would come as they're around that area, but nothing. Tubes rebuild and basic back and forth. Sucks because it's prime viewing real estate.

I cant stand the things, i would love to find something to just mow them down, even a predatory fish, just to seem them all be gone.

new2this · Mar 8, 2018

italquam said:
I cant stand the things, i would love to find something to just mow them down, even a predatory fish, just to seem them all be gone.

Same here

Saltyanimals · Mar 9, 2018

Next time I kalk paste something, I'm planning to inject some into the tubes with a very small syringe. Like the ones you get with test kits. May damage some of the coral that it lives in, but I'm willing to take that chance that the coral likely will recover.

new2this · Mar 9, 2018

Saltyanimals said:
Next time I kalk paste something, I'm planning to inject some into the tubes with a very small syringe. Like the ones you get with test kits. May damage some of the coral that it lives in, but I'm willing to take that chance that the coral likely will recover.

Let me know

Triggreef · Mar 9, 2018

just glue the hole closed if you can get to it.

I bet a parrot wrasse would eat them. but they eat sps too.

FWIW the stringy mess has never killed any acro in my tank or even caused recession from what I can tell. Probly more irritating to us. when I happen to see them and I'm already in my tank, I glue the holes or if I can get to them I use bone cutters to smush them then my wrasses or CBB come around and pluck them out. Wish they would just pluck them out to begin with.

italquam · Mar 9, 2018

Triggreef said:
just glue the hole closed if you can get to it.

I bet a parrot wrasse would eat them. but they eat sps too.

FWIW the stringy mess has never killed any acro in my tank or even caused recession from what I can tell. Probly more irritating to us. when I happen to see them and I'm already in my tank, I glue the holes or if I can get to them I use bone cutters to smush them then my wrasses or CBB come around and pluck them out. Wish they would just pluck them out to begin with.

Right now I only have a FOWLR with a purple tang and a coral beauty in 110 gallon, so I can add a few fish and attack these suckers. ...

Saltyanimals · Mar 25, 2018

Reporting back. I think the kalk injected in the tubes worked for me. Like a Tijuana network of tunnels, I'm not sure how many exits but seem to have killed the one that I been verbally threatening for about a year now. I used a reagent syringe with a small tip to inject it right into the tubes which I hope is a mouth full of kalk to those evil snails. I think I damaged a little of the coral that it was on, but I'm sure it'll recover. 4 days since lethal injection and no signs of the stringy web so calling it successful!